Electrochemical cells, or batteries, are commonly used as electrical energy sources. A battery contains a negative electrode, typically called the anode, and a positive electrode, typically called the cathode. The anode contains an active material that can be oxidized. The cathode contains an active material that can be reduced. The anode active material is capable of reducing the cathode active material. A separator is disposed between the anode and cathode. An electrolyte is also included within the battery. The aforementioned components are generally disposed in a metal can.
When a battery is used as an electrical energy source in a device, electrical contact is made to the anode and the cathode of the battery, allowing electrons to flow through the device and permitting the respective oxidation and reduction reactions to occur in order to provide electrical power to the device. The electrolyte in contact with the anode and the cathode contains ions that flow through the separator between the electrodes to maintain charge balance throughout the battery during discharge.
Battery testers may be used to determine characteristics of a battery, such as the remaining battery capacity. An exemplary type of a common battery tester that is placed on batteries is known as a thermochromic-type tester. In a thermochromic battery tester, there can be a circuit that is completed by a consumer manually depressing one or two button switches. Once the switch is depressed, the consumer has connected the battery to the thermochromic tester. The thermochromic tester may include a silver resistor, e.g., a flat silver layer that has a variable width so that the electrical resistance also varies along its length. As current travels through the silver resistor, the dissipated power generates heat that changes the color of a thermochromic ink display that is over the silver resistor. The thermochromic ink display is arranged as a gauge to indicate the relative capacity of the battery. However, it is typically necessary to manually hold the battery and/or remove the battery from the device in order to test the battery using thermochromic battery testers. Other battery tester systems are desired that do not require manual interaction between the consumer and the battery. In addition, battery tester systems including advanced processing and communication capabilities without increasing the overall dimensions of a battery are desired.